The course of illness following inpatient treatment of adults with longstanding eating disorders: A 5‐year follow‐up

Objective: The objectives of this article were to study the course and outcome of longstanding eating disorders (ED) 5 years after completing treatment and to identify subgroups of patients with different course and outcome. Method: A total of 77 patients with a mean age of 30 years were assessed at the beginning and end of in‐patient therapy and at 1‐, 2‐ and 5‐year follow‐up, respectively. Results: Of the 90% who participated in the 5‐year follow‐up, 46 patients (61%) had improved, and 30 (39%) did not meet diagnostic criteria for an ED. Cluster analysis identified a group of patient with no improvement over time. Conclusion: Overall, the course is favourable, but a subgroup of patients with no improvement over time may need intensified treatment efforts. © 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord, 2008